Improved machine for cutting tobacco



Tiff..

PATENT OFFICE.

LOUIS PLANER, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

lM-PROVEDIVIACHINE FO'R CUTTING TOBACCO.

Specificaton'forming partof Letters Patent No. 46,820. 'dated March 1J, 1865.

To all whom it may concern,.-

Beit known that I, Louis PLANER, of the city, county, and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Tobacco-Cutting Machines; and I hereby declare that the following isa full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being yhad to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure l representsv a longitudinal vertical section of my improvements in tobaccocutting machines, the line of section taken in a plan indicated by the line w x, Fig.' 3. Fig. 2 is a rear elevation of the same. Fig. 8 isa top view of the same. Fig. et is a detached View `of the feediwheel and feed-lever on a larger scale; Fig, 5, alongitudinal vertical section of the same. Fig. 6 is a vertical section ofthe adjustable crank-pin and connectingrod, which transfer motion to feeding device. l Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several figures.

It is very essential in a tobaccocutting machine to have a perfect feed which cannot vary,

except at the will of the operator, and which will be equally effective in this respect when either hand or other power is employed in running the machine. Again, it is essential to be able to adjust the feed so as to get a very small or a very large cut without the delay of altering the arrangement or changing any of the parts of the machine.

I am aware that tobaccocutting machines have been madewith an adjustable feed before my invention; but they have been wanting in either some or all of the foregoing element-s, as well as being objectionable on account of great wear from friction of parts used in their arrangement and loss of power in running them. The objects of my improvements, therefore, are as follows: To obtain in a tobaccocutting machine a true and regular feed, and at the same time be able by a rapid and simple adjustment to make any cut varying from a very fine to a large one; also, by the same arrangement of parts being able to economize power and to do away with much friction, and consequently wear of parts; also, to be`able by the same arrangement .of parts to back out the pistion, in order to allow of the box of the inachine being relled with tobacco to be cut. I can effect this last operation by means of a hand-crank, either while the machine is in motion or at rest. Still it is evident that where the machine is in such a position thatthere'is not space enough to voperate the hand-crank my aforesaid method of backing out the piston by the power of the machine would be the more convenient one. I therefore employ in a tobaeco cutting machine an arrangement of parts by means of which au adjustable but uniform and reversible feed is obtained. The hand-crank before referred to may be used not only for backing out the piston, but also, when the machine is cuttingloose tobacco, for pressing the tobaccoforward toward the knife before commencing the cutting operation and in order to pack it for the purpose of being cut.

To enable others skilled in the art to make and use my invention, I will proceed to de scribe its construction and. operation.

A represents the tobacco-box.

B is the cutter attached to the iiy-wheel C, and D the fly-wheel shaft mounted in bearings E, the whole arranged upon the frame F, and in proper relation to each other, in the usual way for cutting the tobacco on the one end of the box by rotating the fiy-wheel C.

Gis the cover of the box A, which is secured by means of nuts and screws G in the ordinary way.

H represents the piston attached to the coarse threaded screw I, by means of which the tobacco is forced toward or irom the knife B; but this screw and piston-rod I is not intended to turn on its axis in the operation of the n1achine.

J is a nut threaded to fit the screw I, and made with a shoulder, K, and a proper journal to rotate against and in a bearing, L, formed on the rear end of the box A. To the rear end of the nut J is permanently secured the feedwheel M, the periphery of which is toothed.

N is the feed-lever, vibrating upon the nut J between the feed-wheel M and theV bearing L, and having two arms, lO and O. The arm O is provided with a reversible pawl, P, which is made to engagethe teeth`of the feed-wheel M, and locks the same with 'the lever N; but it may be set so as not to engage or lock the feed-wheel, and thereby allow the feed-wheel' to be turned ,by hand or by means `of handcrank Q, as shown in Figs. l, 2, 3. rIhe pawl l Pis provided with a pointedspring-bolt, R, i and the arm 0 is provided with cavities S S S,

cover G and set-screws closed up.

P is then disengaged and the hand-crank Q to keep the paWl P engaged with the teeth of the feed-Wheel, or when disengaged to keep it from falling to engage. T is a dovetail slotted crank secured to the end of the shaft D opposite to the feed-Wheel, and U is a crank-pin made with a dovetail head, which is fitted in the above-said slot of the crank T, and provided with a loose shoulder, V, and a nut, NV, so vthat by means of the nut W the crank-pin U may be secured nearer to or farther from the center of the shaft D.

X is a connecting-rod pivoted to the arm O of the feed-lever on one end, and on the other it is fitted over the crank-pin U, whereby motion is transferred from the shaft D to the feedlever N. l l

The operation of this machine is asfollows: The tobacco-box is filled, and by means of the The pawl applied to the feed-wheel. The cutter 'B is then set opposite the opening of the tobaccoboX, to stop the tobacco from escaping from the box A, and by rotating the feed-wheel the piston H packs the tobacco to a certain density suitable for cutting. After having proceeded thus far,.the hand-crank is removed, and the pawl P is turned in proper direction to lock with the teeth of the feed-wheel, and motion is given to the fly-wheel b`y means of taking hold of the handle Y on the fly-wheel, whereby motion is transferred to the crank T, connecting-rod X, feed-lever N, feed-Wheel M, and thereby propelling the piston II, when the cntter B cuts off the amount of tobacco, having been propelled forward after the piston H has nearly arrived Within short distance ofthe cutter. The paWl P is then reversed to bring the piston H back to its original position. At the same time the tobacco -box is charged again; also, the pawl P may be disengaged, instead Y of reversed, and the piston H Withdrawn by means of the hand-crank Q, and then the box A is charged again with tobacco, after Which the same operation follows, as before described.

From the' foregoing it may be clearly per# ceivcd that the feed motion may be varied by means of the slotted crank T very readily and by setting the crank-pin U nearer to or farther from the center of the shaft D, and the feed may bc stopped, reversed, or forwarded While the machine is in motion, and also the tobacco can be pressed and packed previously in the box A to a proper density before the cutting operation commences. y

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

The combination of the slotted crank T, the connectingrod X, feed-wheel lVI, nut J, feedlever N, reversible pawl P, fixed screw and piston-rod I, with its piston-head H, tobaccoboX A, and cutter D, arranged and operating substantially as and for the purposes herein described. y

LOUIS PLANIGR. Witnesses:

N. D. l\ImiNTio1-rr, f It. lEonKLicN. 

